This is a NON-SPOILER review of Avengers: Infinity War.

Every MCU entry in the last 10 years have led to this moment right here and now Avengers: Infinity War is in the past and it is absolutely fucking insane. I will do my utmost to contain my excitement but when the biggest film of the year shatters expectations there is no such thing as an overreaction. This film sees Earth’s (and the universe’s) mightiest heroes put everything on the table to try and stop the mighty Thanos before his thirst for chaos and destruction results in the death of the universe. It’s directed by the incredible Russo brothers and and somehow, someway, Joe and Anthony managed to pull off this gargantuan project with monstrous ambitions phenomenally. This is the pinnacle of the superhero genre (for now) and it surpasses (almost) all that have come before it. They way the Russo brothers manage to bring this insane amount of characters together in the one film and give everyone enough to do to where they aren’t forgotten is amazing and all the credit goes to these guys.

From the opening scene right through to the closing seconds this movie really is non-stop, it utilises a rapid quick-moving pace that just keeps on ramping up further and further with each passing second. But it’s never going at a pace so quick that it leaves you behind or feeling like it’s skimming over important sequences. There isn’t a second of downtime in here, even between action sequences there is constantly this looming threat of danger and impending doom that keeps you on your toes. Even when it does slow down momentarily it does so to explore some important character moments and they’re some of the more emotionally engaging moments in the film. There is a lot of action in this movie but it never feels like it’s too much to handle or keep track of. And the balance between the action and comedy is handled exceptionally well. There are a number of comedic moments and it hits every damn time. On top of all of the thrills that loom around every corner the film delivers some very effective hard hitting emotional moments that are very impactful. As I’ll keep on mentioning, this movie is incredibly well balanced in that it knows when to go all out with the large action sequences, when to go for the joke, and when to slow down for some character development. It jumps around a lot but it’s executed in a way to where you never lose track of where everyone is and what everyone is doing at any point.

The ensemble cast in here is absolutely phenomenal, seeing all of these personalities clash and interact in various ways made for an endless array of entertainment. No matter which group of characters are being focused on there is a special and unique dynamic in each scene that has you completely hooked. Despite all of these characters coming from different corners of the MCU the Russo brothers manage to capture the essence of every character flawlessly and make them all feel like they’re a part of the same movie. I’ll even say that the Russo brothers did the guardians of the galaxy better than James Gunn did in their sequel last year. I’m not going to sit here going through the entire cast of characters and performance as I’ll need a few hours but just know that everyone in here is great and as far as ensemble performances go, this is one of the greatest. When it comes to character development, this is where the massive amount of characters and limited runtime hinders the film from going in deep on everyone. There are a couple of characters who have their own development arcs and they’re great whereas the majority of characters don’t really have much time to grow… but that’s not what I was looking for or expecting in here. Look for this development in the standalone films because this isn’t the time or the place for that.

The story itself is magnificent and unbelievably unpredictable in every moment with a shitload of shocks and surprises around every damn corner. It goes places you will not see coming and manages to incorporate every hero in a way where it feels like everyone who is there needs to be there. There is so much story packed into this movie that even for a 2 hour and 29 minute movie there is still a monstrous amount. And this being a ‘war’ means there is a real sense of dread that never lets up the entire way through.

But lets be honest, the real star of this movie isn’t any one of the Avengers nor is it the collective team… it’s Josh Brolin‘s villain Thanos who does not disappoint and is an absolute force to be reckoned with. The Russo brothers accomplished so much with this movie but what they nailed absolutely perfectly down to a tee is the threat that Thanos poses to the universe and just how immensely powerful he is. The main character and the main force in this movie is Thanos himself and every second he is on screen is absolutely glorious. He has cemented himself without a doubt as the strongest villain in the MCU, not just in terms of strength but in terms of character, personality and his overall goal. What makes a villain more compelling than most is when they believe that the evil shit they’re doing is right and when you understand Thanos’ motivations here and the WHY behind his every action it only adds to his character and the strength of his story.

There is an absolute shitload of stuff that I can’t get into here but I will most certainly delve deep into in a spoiler review. But for what it’s worth Avengers: Infinity War managed to deliver on all of my expectations and it’s an insanely fun and fulfilling ride the whole way through that MCU fans will die for. There are a couple of small issues I have with individual moments in the film that aren’t really spoilers but I will withhold them just incase. Thanos has arrived and he’s as good of a villain as I think we’ll ever get in the future of the MCU. The action is thrilling and very entertaining, the comedy is well integrated and not too overpowering, there’s deeply affecting emotion in here, and it’s all very well combined to create an event on a level unlike any other in the history of cinema.